We set high expectations so that our students can exceed them. We are preparing our students for success in college, career and life. We are also a fully “open source” organization. We want to help all of us go further, faster toward the goal of providing an excellent education for every child, everywhere.

We set high expectations so that our students can exceed them. We are preparing our students for success in college, career and life. We are also a fully “open source” organization. We want to help all of us go further, faster toward the goal of providing an excellent education for every child, everywhere.

We set high expectations so that our students can exceed them. We are preparing our students for success in college, career and life. We are also a fully “open source” organization. We want to help all of us go further, faster toward the goal of providing an excellent education for every child, everywhere.

We set high expectations so that our students can exceed them. We are preparing our students for success in college, career and life. We are also a fully “open source” organization. We want to help all of us go further, faster toward the goal of providing an excellent education for every child, everywhere.

We set high expectations so that our students can exceed them. We are preparing our students for success in college, career and life. We are also a fully “open source” organization. We want to help all of us go further, faster toward the goal of providing an excellent education for every child, everywhere.

We set high expectations so that our students can exceed them. We are preparing our students for success in college, career and life. We are also a fully “open source” organization. We want to help all of us go further, faster toward the goal of providing an excellent education for every child, everywhere.

We set high expectations so that our students can exceed them. We are preparing our students for success in college, career and life. We are also a fully “open source” organization. We want to help all of us go further, faster toward the goal of providing an excellent education for every child, everywhere.

We set high expectations so that our students can exceed them. We are preparing our students for success in college, career and life. We are also a fully “open source” organization. We want to help all of us go further, faster toward the goal of providing an excellent education for every child, everywhere.

We set high expectations so that our students can exceed them. We are preparing our students for success in college, career and life. We are also a fully “open source” organization. We want to help all of us go further, faster toward the goal of providing an excellent education for every child, everywhere.

We set high expectations so that our students can exceed them. We are preparing our students for success in college, career and life. We are also a fully “open source” organization. We want to help all of us go further, faster toward the goal of providing an excellent education for every child, everywhere.

Every day, students in our schools across Connecticut, Brooklyn and Rhode Island are solving for x and shattering stereotypes, winning debate tournaments and football games and preparing for their futures as college graduates.

Every day, students in our schools across Connecticut, Brooklyn and Rhode Island are solving for x and shattering stereotypes, winning debate tournaments and football games and preparing for their futures as college graduates.

We refuse to accept a world where social injustices stand as barriers to our students’ success. Our students can not only achieve on par with their affluent peers across the country, they can achieve alongside the highest-performing students in the world. Our students will redefine what excellence looks like.

We refuse to accept a world where social injustices stand as barriers to our students’ success. Our students can not only achieve on par with their affluent peers across the country, they can achieve alongside the highest-performing students in the world. Our students will redefine what excellence looks like.

We refuse to accept a world where social injustices stand as barriers to our students’ success. Our students can not only achieve on par with their affluent peers across the country, they can achieve alongside the highest-performing students in the world. Our students will redefine what excellence looks like.

We refuse to accept a world where social injustices stand as barriers to our students’ success. Our students can not only achieve on par with their affluent peers across the country, they can achieve alongside the highest-performing students in the world. Our students will redefine what excellence looks like.

Every year, our seniors gain acceptance to colleges and universities across the country.

Every day, we work hard to fulfill our mission: to deliver on the promise of equal educational opportunity for all of America's children. We believe that all children, regardless of race or economic status, can succeed if they have access to a great education.

Every day, we work hard to fulfill our mission: to deliver on the promise of equal educational opportunity for all of America's children. We believe that all children, regardless of race or economic status, can succeed if they have access to a great education.

Every day, we work hard to fulfill our mission: to deliver on the promise of equal educational opportunity for all of America's children. We believe that all children, regardless of race or economic status, can succeed if they have access to a great education.

Every day, we work hard to fulfill our mission: to deliver on the promise of equal educational opportunity for all of America's children. We believe that all children, regardless of race or economic status, can succeed if they have access to a great education.

Every day, we work hard to fulfill our mission: to deliver on the promise of equal educational opportunity for all of America's children. We believe that all children, regardless of race or economic status, can succeed if they have access to a great education.

Every day, we work hard to fulfill our mission: to deliver on the promise of equal educational opportunity for all of America's children. We believe that all children, regardless of race or economic status, can succeed if they have access to a great education.

Every day, we work hard to fulfill our mission: to deliver on the promise of equal educational opportunity for all of America's children. We believe that all children, regardless of race or economic status, can succeed if they have access to a great education.

Every day, we work hard to fulfill our mission: to deliver on the promise of equal educational opportunity for all of America's children. We believe that all children, regardless of race or economic status, can succeed if they have access to a great education.

We believe a great education can level the playing field, break the cycle of poverty and create a brighter future for all of us.

Teaching and leading at Achievement First means being a part of an awesomely powerful team of tireless educators and specialists, incredible families, and students who are working every day toward improving themselves and our world.

Teaching and leading at Achievement First means being a part of an awesomely powerful team of tireless educators and specialists, incredible families, and students who are working every day toward improving themselves and our world.

Teaching and leading at Achievement First means being a part of an awesomely powerful team of tireless educators and specialists, incredible families, and students who are working every day toward improving themselves and our world.

Teaching and leading at Achievement First means being a part of an awesomely powerful team of tireless educators and specialists, incredible families, and students who are working every day toward improving themselves and our world.

Teaching and leading at Achievement First means being a part of an awesomely powerful team of tireless educators and specialists, incredible families, and students who are working every day toward improving themselves and our world.

Teaching and leading at Achievement First means being a part of an awesomely powerful team of tireless educators and specialists, incredible families, and students who are working every day toward improving themselves and our world.

Teaching and leading at Achievement First means being a part of an awesomely powerful team of tireless educators and specialists, incredible families, and students who are working every day toward improving themselves and our world.

We develop, recognize and reward teachers through constant professional development and the Teacher Career Pathway.

Every day, we’re working toward social justice and better educational opportunities not just for our students, but for all students.Without you—our partners, friends, board members, donors, community leaders and neighbors—our work would not be possible.

Every day, we’re working toward social justice and better educational opportunities not just for our students, but for all students.Without you—our partners, friends, board members, donors, community leaders and neighbors—our work would not be possible.

Every day, we’re working toward social justice and better educational opportunities not just for our students, but for all students.Without you—our partners, friends, board members, donors, community leaders and neighbors—our work would not be possible.

Every day, we’re working toward social justice and better educational opportunities not just for our students, but for all students.Without you—our partners, friends, board members, donors, community leaders and neighbors—our work would not be possible.

We host hundreds of visitors—including community members, elected officials and educators—in our schools each year.

The Achievement First Approach: As a Network

Achievement First was created to support and enhance our schools in our shared mission to close the achievement gap. Our network approach has five objectives:

Freeing Schools to Focus on Achievement

Running an outstanding school is a difficult and complex job. Achievement First has found that by centralizing certain functions—like teacher recruitment, fundraising, budgeting and fiscal operations, data management, information technology, and facilities operations—the network is able to free school leaders and teachers to focus on the most important things: teaching and learning. Just as an element of our school approach is "more time spent learning," our network approach enables school teams to spend more time on delivering a world-class education. Within each school, teachers and principals are supported by an outstanding school operations and logistics team that works hard to handle most non-instructional tasks, including busing, food service, field trips, budget and finance, and state reporting. All schools share a common operating style that stems from their affiliation with Achievement First. Centralizing and coordinating these operational services enables us to deliver them at both a higher level of quality and lower cost than a single school would on its own.

Talent Development

Finding, developing and retaining great educators is the key to the success of our students and the success of the network as a whole. By centralizing some of these functions and supporting schools with others, Achievement First has found that it can build the systems and processes necessary to bring the best people from around the country, provide them with outstanding professional development and career opportunities, and monitor and react to the issues they are facing in their demanding work to ensure they are able to be successful for many years.

Knowledge Capture and Sharing

One of the greatest benefits of the network is that Achievement First schools, while sharing some common elements, are also free to innovate—each discovering new answers to the significant challenges of urban education. We share a core focus on results and continuous improvement, so a successful practice at one school is often shared and systematized so that the entire network benefits.

School Support and Quality Control

The Achievement First network provides a variety of support services, from direct coaching for principals by assistant superintendents (who have previously been successful principals in their own careers), to network-wide professional development and networking. At the same time, Achievement First holds schools accountable and, when a school is not being successful, has the power and expertise to intervene and take corrective action.

Efficiencies That Enable the Network to be Sustainable

Through economies of scale and higher levels of specialization, Achievement First can execute key tasks with significantly less expense and with higher levels of quality than the schools can on their own. These efficiencies are what enable the network to operate at cost levels that are the same or less than our host districts, while supporting the schools in their high level of achievement.